This question is based on General Literary Principles. Poems that are not written in meter or regular line length are called

Analyze the question: The question asks for the term used for poems that have no fixed meter (a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables) and no regular line length.

Explain the concept: Poetry can be broadly divided by how it handles structure:

• Metrical (traditional) verse: follows a set meter, such as iambic pentameter, and often a rhyme scheme. Examples are sonnets and ballads.
• Free verse: has no fixed meter, no required rhyme scheme, and no regular line length. The poet lets the natural rhythm of speech, the meaning, and the line breaks guide the poem. Walt Whitman is a famous pioneer. In Nigerian poetry, many modern poets such as Christopher Okigbo and Wole Soyinka often use free verse.

Step-by-step solution:

• A. Short verses: this describes length only, not a formal type of poetry. Wrong.
• B. Rhythmic verses: these have a rhythm, which is the opposite of what the question describes. Wrong.
• C. Free verses: the standard literary term for poems without regular meter or line length. Correct.
• D. Irregular verses: this sounds close, but it is not the recognized technical term. The "irregular ode" is a different thing, with varying line lengths but still a formal structure. Wrong.

Answer: C. Free verses

Exam tip: When you see "no meter, no regular rhyme, no fixed line length," think free verse. Remember the phrase "free from rules": free verse is free from fixed meter and rhyme.